Closing Prayer Ritual: Taste and See (EWA 8)

Introduction

Facilitator: Good morning everyone! We are gathered together at this moment to pray with one another at the beginning of our conference. Our theme for our closing prayer ritual is “Taste and See”

Our theme is taken from the responsorial psalm which we shall be reading. It invites us to taste and see that our Lord is good. In relation to this, we will together search and share to goodness we find in the different efforts and achievements women have accomplished from different parts of Asia. Our gospel reading from Luke tells the story of Jesus feeding many people until all have eaten and became satisfied. While we listen together and to one another, we will reflect on our readings in the context of Asian women and pray to God with and for all women.

Please have the food you brought with you ready as we will be offering these during our prayer ritual. Let us all rise for the opening song.

Opening Song ℅ Heejung Adele Cho (Korea)

오 아름다워라 찬란한 세상 주님이 지었네

oh arum dawora challanan se sang junimi ji unne

(O Beautiful and wonderful World! The Lord created it)

오 아름다워라 찬란한 세상 주님과 함께 살아가리라

oh arum dawora challanan se sang junim gwa hamke sara garira

(O Beautiful and wonderful world! I shall dwell with the Lord)

온세상 만민이여 주를 찬양하라

on se sang manmi niyo ju rul chanyang hara

(All peoples of the earth, praise the Lord)

그분의 위대하심을 높이 찬양 하여라

kubune wedae hasi mul nopi chanyang hayora

(Praise and exalt the greatness of the Lord)

오 아름다워라 찬란한 세상 주님이 지었네

oh arum dawora challanan se sang junimi ji unne

(O Beautiful and wonderful World! The Lord created it)

오 아름다워라 찬란한 세상 주님과 함께 살아가리라

oh arum dawora challanan se sang junim gwa hamke sara garira

(O Beautiful and wonderful world! I shall dwell with the Lord)

해와 달과 별들이여 주를 찬양 하라

haewa dal gwa byol duriyo jurul chanyang hara

(Sun, moon and stars, praise the Lord)

그분의 영원하심을 높이 찬양 하여라

kubune yongwon hasi mul nopi chanyang hayora

(Praise and exalt the eternity of the Lord)

오 아름다워라 찬란한 세상 주님이 지었네

oh arum dawora challanan se sang junimi ji unne

(O Beautiful and wonderful World! The Lord created it)

오 아름다워라 찬란한 세상 주님과 함께 살아가리라

oh arum dawora challanan se sang junim gwa hamke sara garira

(O Beautiful and wonderful World! The Lord created it)

Opening Prayer ℅ Mary Mee-Yin Yuen (Hongkong)

Facilitator: Please be seated.

Psalm 34:8-14

Reader: Responsorial Psalm. Let our response be: O taste and see that the Lord is good!

O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him!

Everyone: O taste and see that the LORD is good!

O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Everyone: O taste and see that the LORD is good!

Come, O sons, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is there who desires life, and covets many days, that he may enjoy good?

Everyone: O taste and see that the LORD is good!

Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Everyone: O taste and see that the LORD is good!

Situationer

Facilitator: As sisters coming from different cultures and contexts who have spent the previous days sharing prayers and insights together, let us now remember and express the different signs of hope and experiences of courage we see among women from our countries in the face of their different concerns. We invite you to identify one of the greatest achievements, victories or signs of hope you find in the women from where you come from or from where you serve, and write this down on the piece of paper we have passed around.

We now invite anyone who would like to read what she has written to do so.

Please put your pieces of paper in the basket that is being passed around. We will include these signs of hope and empowerment in our prayers.

(The basket will be placed at the foot of the altar. Music fades out.)

Facilitator: Let us all rise to acclaim the gospel.

Alleluia

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:10-17

Reader: A reading from the gospel according to Luke

On their return the apostles told him what they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a city called Beth-sa’ida. When the crowds learned it, they followed him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those who had need of healing. Now the day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away, to go into the villages and country round about, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a lonely place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish–unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.” And they did so, and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were satisfied. And they took up what was left over, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Reader: The gospel of our Friend and Brother.

Everyone: Praise to you, O Jesus Christ.

Reflection on the Readings: Prof. Shalani Mulackal (India)

Facilitator: Please be seated. We now call on Prof. Shalani to share with us some of her reflections on the readings in view of her own experiences.

A Moment of Silence for Personal Reflection

Let us spend a few moments of silence for personal reflection.

Sharing Our Food

(Empty trays will be placed in the middle of the group or at the foot of the altar.)

Facilitator: All rise. We recall all that we have learned and realized these past few days as well as the friendships we have formed with gratitude. We also recall the encouraging stories of various women from different parts of Asia which we have heard. Let us express our thanksgiving and excitement by coming forward to bring the food that we have brought from our own countries, which we are to partake of later on. May all our experiences during EWA VIII as well as our sharing of food multiply our energies to continue the service that we do for God’s Kindom inaugurated by Christ with the help of the Spirit of Life.

Community Prayer with and for All Women:

Facilitator: Keeping in mind contents of the basket we passed around, which contains signs of women’s strengths and victories, let us all together pray our community prayer with and for all women.

Everyone:

Spirit of Life, we remember today the women, named and unnamed, who throughout time have used the power and gifts you gave them to change the world. We call upon these foremothers to help us discover within ourselves your power – and the ways to use it to bring about the Kingdom of Justice and Peace.We remember Sarah who with Abraham answered God’s call to forsake her homeland and put their faith in a covenant with the Lord.We pray for her power of faith.We remember Esther and Deborah, who by acts of individual courage, saved their nation.We pray for their power of courage to act for the greater good.We remember Mary Magdalene and the other women who followed Jesus who were not believed when they announced the resurrection.We pray for their power of belief in the face of skepticism.We remember Phoebe, Priscilla and the other women leaders of the early church.We pray for their power to spread the gospel and inspire congregations.We remember the Abbesses of the Middle Ages who kept faith and knowledge alive.We pray for their power of leadership.We remember Teresa of Avila and Catherine of Siena who challenged the corruption of the Church during the Renaissance. We pray for their powers of intelligence and outspokenness.We remember our own mothers and grandmothers whose lives shaped ours.We pray for the special power they attempted to pass on to us.We pray for the women who are victims of violence in their homes.May they be granted the power to overcome fear and seek solutions.We pray for those women who face a life of poverty and malnutrition.May they be granted the power of hopefulness to work together for a better life.We pray for the women today who are “firsts” in their fields.May they be granted the power to persevere and open up new possibilities for all women.We pray for all daughters and granddaughters. May they be granted the power to seek that life which is uniquely theirs. (Here, add any women you would like to remember or for whom you wish to pray…)We have celebrated the power of many women past and present. It is time now to celebrate ourselves. Within each of us is that same life and light and love. Within each of us lie the seeds of power and glory. Our bodies can touch with love; our hearts can heal; our minds can seek out faith and truth and justice. Spirit of Life, be with us in our quest. Amen.

Closing Song ℅ Sr. Daniela Nguyen (Vietnam): The Summons

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?Will you love the “you” you hide if I but call your name?Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around,through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.In Your company I’ll go where Your love and footsteps show.Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me.